Mean Droplet Diameter Research Articles

A simplified drop breakage model for emulsion-producing fluidic devices: Application to fluidic oscillator, helical coil and vortex-based cavitation device

Droplet size distribution (DSD) is one of the key quality attributes of liquid–liquid emulsions. Various fluidic devices are used to generate emulsions. Most of the currently available models for estimating DSD are complicated to implement and computationally expensive. In this work, we have developed a simplified drop breakage model that is easy to implement and computationally inexpensive. This model approximates DSDs in three droplet populations, each characterised by a mean diameter. The developed drop breakage model was applied to simulate Sauter mean diameters of oil-in-water emulsions generated using three fluidic devices covering a broad range of shear rates and droplet sizes namely: vortex-based cavitation device (VD), helical coil (HC), and fluidic oscillator (FO). The variation of DSD with the number of passes (np) through the emulsion-producing fluidic devices was measured experimentally. The Sauter mean diameter (d32) and number of droplets (n) in each population were estimated from the measured DSD data. The procedure to estimate model parameters is presented. The simplified breakage model presented here was able to simulate the influence of the number of passes and operating conditions on Sauter mean diameter as well as breakage efficiency. VD was found to exhibit the highest drop breakage efficiency. FO was found to be a preferred choice for low (< 20 J/kg) energy consumption, HC for the middle range (20 – 100 J/kg) and VD for the higher (> 100 J/kg) range of energy consumption. The developed approach and model provide a simplified way of simulating the Sauter mean diameters of emulsions for a variety of emulsion-generating devices.

Numerical Study on Blast Mitigation by a Water Mist: Impact of the Mean Droplet Diameter and Volume Fraction

Numerical Study on Blast Mitigation by a Water Mist: Impact of the Mean Droplet Diameter and Volume Fraction

Continuous turbulent liquid-liquid emulsification using open-cell solid foams: Experimental investigation and modelling

The study investigates the efficiency of liquid-liquid emulsification using three types of open-cell solid foams. Initially, the pressure drop profiles revealed the non-negligible impact of the inertial term at a low viscosity of the continuous phase, with profiles becoming more linear at higher viscosities. The Darcy-Forchheimer model effectively predicted pressure drops with a maximum mean relative error of 14%. Emulsification performance (seen as a decrease in the droplet size) was then evaluated by varying dispersed phase viscosity, superficial fluid flow velocity and foam insert packing length, comparing results with structured static mixers (SMX+). The droplet size of the dispersed phase rapidly decreased within the first foam inserts before stabilizing at a length of 175 mm. Under the same superficial velocity, the mean droplet diameter is correlated to the foam's mean pore size. SMX+ mixers exhibited emulsification capability comparable to solid foam with the largest pores, while medium and small pore foams produced smaller droplets. Finally, the Middleman's correlation with viscosity correction accurately predicted mean droplet size at equilibrium and across various scenarios.

Nutraceutically-enhanced oral delivery of vitamin D3 via Bio-SNEDDS: Demonstrating in vivo superiority over pediatric formulations

BackgroundVitamin D3 (VD3) deficiency among children in Saudi Arabia remains a pressing concern due to its poor bioavailability and the limitations of current pediatric formulations. To address this challenge, we developed a groundbreaking pediatric self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (Bio-SNEDDS) for VD3, fortified with black seed oil and moringa seed oil for dual therapeutic benefits. Through meticulous formulation optimization using ternary phase diagrams and comprehensive testing, our Bio-SNEDDS demonstrated exceptional performance. MethodsBio-SNEDDS were manufactured by incorporating Black seed oil and moringa seed oil as bioactive nutraceutical excipients along with various cosurfactant and surfactants. Bio-SNEDDS were systematically optimized through ternary phase diagrams, visual tests, droplet size analysis, drug solubilization studies, dispersion assessments, and pharmacokinetic testing in rats compared to Vi-De 3®. ResultsPseudoternary phase diagrams identified oil blends producing large nanoemulsion regions optimal for SNEDDS formation. The optimized F1 Bio-SNEDDS showed a mean droplet diameter of 33.7 nm, solubilized 154.46 mg/g VD3 with no metabolite formation, and maintained >88% VD3 in solution during 24 h dispersion testing. Notably, in vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation at a high VD3 dose demonstrated an approximately two-fold greater relative bioavailability over Vi-De 3®, validating the superb oral delivery performance of Bio-SNEDDS even under challenging high-dose conditions. ConclusionsThe Bio-SNEDDS provides an effective VD3 delivery strategy with established in vivo superiority over marketed products, along with offering additional health benefits from the natural oils.

Liquid dispersion behaviors in a rotating packed bed with different packing arrangements: A comparison study

Wire mesh packing is widely used in the rotating packed bed (RPB). Packing arrangements have been proven to influence the mass transfer of an RPB. However, the liquid dispersion behaviors including dispersion characteristics and mechanisms for packing with different arrangements require further study. In this work, the dispersion behaviors of wire mesh packing with coiled and concentric arrangements were compared. An in-situ Doppler optical probe method was firstly employed to obtain fundamental parameters of liquid dispersion characteristics, such as the Sauter mean diameter, size distribution, and velocity of liquid droplets. The obtained results showed that the coiled arrangement was conducive to generating droplets with large velocity and narrow size distribution owing to the capturing and spreading of liquid inside the packing, while the concentric arrangement was beneficial in decreasing droplet size due to the shearing and carrying actions of the packing. Based on the optimization of liquid dispersion, the max and average reductions of d32 were 34.8% and 19.0% for packing with concentric arrangement than a coiled one. Further comparison results of dispersion characteristics indicated that the optimized concentric arrangement with 3 layers could provide better liquid dispersion than that of a coiled one with around 20 layers.

Large Eddy Simulation of a Turbulent Polydisperse Spray Flow: A Comparative Study of Subgrid Scale Models and Droplet Injection Models

Abstract This study performs an investigation of the effects of the subgrid-scale (SGS) and droplet injection models in the large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent two-phase spray flows. Three LES SGS models (Smagorinsky, wall-adapting local eddy viscosity (WALE), and dynamic Smagorinsky) and two droplet injection models (cone nozzle injection and conditional droplet injection) are validated to the experimental measurements. For both gaseous and liquid phases, all SGS models provide comparable results, indicating that the current two-phase flow field does not exhibit a pronounced sensitivity to the LES SGS model. As for different droplet injection models and spray dispersion angles, minimal differences are observed in the prediction of the gaseous mean and root-mean-square (RMS) velocity profiles. However, for the result of liquid phase, CDIM (conditional droplet injection model) predictions of the droplet mean diameter and velocity are in better agreement with experiments, and less sensitive to spray dispersion angle settings. While the CNIM (cone nozzle injection model) prediction of droplet diameter is less accurate when increasing the dispersion angle. The study suggests that turbulent two-phase spray flows are more influenced by the spray boundary conditions rather than the LES SGS models.

Liquid-liquid two phase-system stabilized by tween 40 and 80 surfactants: multiparametric study

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of process parameters such as interfacial tension, type of surfactants, and their concentration on simple oil-in-water dispersion. Explored systems were prepared with 5% liquid paraffin oil and aqueous phase with emulsifiers Tween 40 of concentrations from 0.008325 mM to 0.025 mM and Tween 80 with concentrations ranging from 0.00375 mM to 0.011 mM. All systems were characterized in terms of their density and interfacial tension. In the next step analysis of droplet size distributions and mean droplet diameter was performed. The results showed that the size of paraffin droplets decreased as the concentration of surfactants grew. This trend is accompanied by decrease in the interfacial tension between phases. The correlation between mean drop size and the energy input and physical properties of both liquids was developed. The last step provides scientific evidence for the formulation of stable droplets of liquid paraffin.

A one-way coupling approach for simulating in-nozzle flow and spray characteristics of a pressure-swirl atomizer

This article proposes a model framework coupling in-nozzle flow and external spray and presents its application to the simulation of a commercial pressure-swirl atomizer, focusing on the transient characteristics of the internal flow and subsequently the impact on the spray characteristics. High-fidelity in-nozzle simulation of the liquid–gas interactions is performed using the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method. Then, a corresponding Lagrangian simulation of sprays is performed where the parcels are injected using the information from the VOF predictions instead of phenomenological models. Both the internal flow and the spray are compared to the experimental data that are available in the literature, and satisfactory agreement is obtained in terms of the in-nozzle velocity, film thickness, and Sauter mean diameter. The effect of the different liquid properties and geometric features on the air–core formation, and consequently, on the spray characteristics have been obtained directly through spray simulation coupled with nozzle flow. As indicated by the Eulerian simulation results, the viscosity plays a key role in the formation of the air core, as the hollow-cone shape can degenerate into a solid cylindrical liquid jet under high viscosity conditions. Additionally, significantly distinct spray characteristics in terms of droplet velocity, mean diameter, and penetration were predicted depending on the formation of air core. Even if there is no stable air core in the nozzle, the spray is still discharged in a swirling motion. As opposed to the converging angle and orifice length, the nozzle diameter has a direct correlation with the formation of air core and spray atomization. This study implies that the in-nozzle flow field, which is usually ignored in fuel spray simulation, has a substantial impact on the spray characteristics and should be taken into account for design optimization by applying the developed one-way coupling approach.

Manufacturing nearly monodispersed complex coacervate microcapsules by membrane emulsification and spray drying

Complex coacervation is a phase separation process in which two oppositely charged polymers or macromolecules in a solution come together at the liquid-liquid interface to form a dense coacervate shell. The process can be employed to encapsulate oil droplets, creating stable microcapsules that protect and control the release of oil while achieving a high encapsulation efficiency of active ingredients. In this work dry coacervate microcapsules of different size and shell thickness were manufactured combining a continuous single pass cross-flow membrane emulsification system and spray drying to obtain a dry powder. A single-pass crossflow membrane emulsification system with a single cylindrical 10 × 100 mm membrane module with 10 μm pore produced emulsion droplets between 71 μm and 114 μm with a dispersed phase (oil content) in the final emulsion between 3.3 and 6.2 vol/vol% and a total emulsion output mass rate between 25.68 kg h−1 – 49.68 kg h−1. Emulsions manufactured by membrane emulsification were nearly monodispersed with the highest span not exceeding 0.68. Addition of maltodextrin to the emulsion prior to spray drying increased the viscosity and prevented the capsules breakage. Microcapsules up to a mean droplet diameter of 113.19 ± 0.81 μm preserved the shell and had a yield up to 78.43 ± 0.97 wt%, a surface oil as low as 9.35 ± 0.88 wt% and an encapsulation efficiency of 71.09 ± 0.87 wt%.

Combination of a propofol emulsion with alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonists used for multimodal analgesia or sedation in intensive care units: a physicochemical stability study

ObjectivesTo assess the physicochemical stability of the combination of a propofol emulsion with an alpha-2 (α2) adrenergic receptor agonist (α2A; clonidine or dexmedetomidine) under conditions mimicking routine practice in an...

The Effect of Internal Combustion Engine Nozzle Needle Profile on Fuel Atomization Quality

This article presents the results of research on the impact of changing the cross-section of an atomizer’s flow channel, which is caused by changing the flow geometry of the passive part of the needle on the drop diameter distribution of the fuel spray. A three-hole type H1LMK, 148/1 atomizer with hole diameters, dN, equal to 0.34 mm, is analyzed. A nozzle with a standard (i.e., unmodified) needle and three nozzles using needles with a modified profile in the flow part of the needle, marked by the code signatures 1L, 2L, and 3L, are tested. An increasing level of fuel turbulence characterizes the needles during the flow along their flow part due to the use of one (1L), two (2L), and three (3L) de Laval toroidal nozzles, respectively, obtained by mechanically shaping the outer surface of the flow part of the spray needle. The spray produced is tested using the Malvern Spraytec STP 500 device cooperating with the dedicated Malvern version 4.0. During the tests, measurements and an analysis of the spray droplet size distribution over the entire injection duration, equal to 7 ± 2 ms, are made for each nozzle. The experiment makes it possible to determine the effect of the nozzle needles’ profiles on the time distribution of the actual droplet diameters; the time distribution of the Sauter mean droplet diameters, D[3,2]; the percentile shares of the droplet diameters Dv (10), Dv (50), and Dv (90); the distribution span during the development of the spray stream; and the time distribution of the shares of the droplets with diameters belonging to selected diameter classes D[x1−x2] in the spray. The results of the measurements of the drop diameter distribution indicate that using atomizers with a modification to the flow channel allows for an increase in the share of droplets with smaller diameters compared to the standard atomizer.

Interactions between liquid sprays and shock waves in underexpanded flows

The interactions between droplets and shock waves have many applications, but few studies have investigated how the distributions of droplet diameters and droplet velocities in a spray are modified after passing through a shock. This study examines the droplet statistics upstream and downstream of shock waves in an underexpanded jet by performing phase Doppler interferometry in combination with Schlieren imaging. A mixture of water and propylene glycol is employed as the liquid. It is observed that, when the spray passes through an oblique shock, the droplet diameters decrease and then increase but the droplet velocities remain steady. When the droplets pass through a weak normal shock, on the other hand, the most probable droplet diameter decreases, some very large droplets appear, and the velocity distribution splits into three distinct regions. However, a strong normal shock causes the mean droplet diameters and the mean droplet velocities to decrease consistently. Reasons for these different behaviors are given, and secondary breakup regimes are estimated in terms of the Weber number. Additionally, droplet probability distribution fits are compared to the measured values for each of the different cases. The droplet statistics presented here can be used to improve computational modeling of spray-shock interactions.

Droplet Growth or Evaporation Does Not Buffer the Variability in Supersaturation in Clean Clouds

Abstract Water vapor supersaturation in clouds is a random variable that drives activation and growth of cloud droplets. The Pi Convection–Cloud Chamber generates a turbulent cloud with a microphysical steady state that can be varied from clean to polluted by adjusting the aerosol injection rate. The supersaturation distribution and its moments, e.g., mean and variance, are investigated for varying cloud microphysical conditions. High-speed and collocated Eulerian measurements of temperature and water vapor concentration are combined to obtain the temporally resolved supersaturation distribution. This allows quantification of the contributions of variances and covariances between water vapor and temperature. Results are consistent with expectations for a convection chamber, with strong correlation between water vapor and temperature; departures from ideal behavior can be explained as resulting from dry regions on the warm boundary, analogous to entrainment. The saturation ratio distribution is measured under conditions that show monotonic increase of liquid water content and decrease of mean droplet diameter with increasing aerosol injection rate. The change in liquid water content is proportional to the change in water vapor concentration between no-cloud and cloudy conditions. Variability in the supersaturation remains even after cloud droplets are formed, and no significant buffering is observed. Results are interpreted in terms of a cloud microphysical Damköhler number (Da), under conditions corresponding to , i.e., the slow-microphysics regime. This implies that clouds with very clean regions, such that is satisfied, will experience supersaturation fluctuations without them being buffered by cloud droplet growth. Significance Statement The saturation ratio (humidity) in clouds controls the growth rate and formation of cloud droplets. When air in a turbulent cloud mixes, the humidity varies in space and time throughout the cloud. This is important because it means cloud droplets experience different growth histories, thereby resulting in broader size distributions. It is often assumed that growth and evaporation of cloud droplets buffers out some of the humidity variations. Measuring these variations has been difficult, especially in the field. The purpose of this study is to measure the saturation ratio distribution in clouds with a range of conditions. We measure the in-cloud saturation ratio using a convection cloud chamber with clean to polluted cloud properties. We found in clouds with low concentrations of droplets that the variations in the saturation ratio are not suppressed.

Novel concentrated O/W emulsion co-stabilized by like-charged chitosan nanoparticle and ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE) surfactant at very low dosages

Emulsions co-stabilized by like-charged cationic ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE) and positively charged chitosan/sodium tripolyphosphate (CS-TPP) nanoparticles at low doses were prepared. The effects of CS-TPP nanoparticle concentration, LAE concentration, and pH on storage stability and mean droplet diameter were investigated, and the emulsion microstructure was examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The emulsions formed by LAE and CS-TPP were O/W emulsions, different from W/O emulsions formed by CS-TPP alone. The stability of the emulsions co-stabilized by LAE and CS-TPP was superior to that of the emulsions stabilized by LAE alone or CS-TPP nanoparticles alone. The emulsions could maintain good stability with 0.5 mM LAE and 0.08 wt% CS-TPP at pH ranging from 3.5 to 5.5. After standing and layering, the upper cream layer of CS-TPP+LAE emulsions could form stable high internal phase emulsions. For the novel emulsion, LAE dominated the formation of emulsion droplets, and adsorbed CS-TPP nanoparticles played a crucial role in the emulsion stability. The adsorbed CS-TPP nanoparticles discretely attached to oil droplets could form a strawberry-like construct, which could prevent the coalescence of emulsion droplets through electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance. This work demonstrates the capacity of low dose food-grade emulsifiers and stabilizers to form stable emulsions.

Study on reactivity characteristic of TDA droplet group with gaseous phosgene for preparing TDI

Toluene diisocyanate stands as a pivotal chemical, predominantly synthesized through the phosgenation reaction between toluene diamine and phosgene. To address the inherent limitations of existing phosgenation methods, we pioneered a novel phosgenation reaction based on flash atomization and confirmed its feasibility with preliminary theoretical calculations. This manuscript delves deeper into the superiority of this method and refines its reaction parameters. By integrating the discrete phase model with the Eulerian model, we studied the reaction dynamics of droplet sprays, exploring the effects of spray velocity, droplet size, phosgene temperature, and particle size distribution on the reaction. Our results highlight that, with a mean droplet diameter of 70 μm and a spray velocity of 40 m/s, an impressive reaction yield of 97.4 % can be achieved. This research enriches our understanding of the gas–liquid two-phase phosgenation method, setting the stage for its future exploration and potential applications in Toluene diisocyanate and other isocyanate industry.

Surface Modified Carvacrol-rich Satureja khuzestanica Essential Oil Nanoemulsion: A Novel Paclitaxel Formulation Induced Apoptosis on Paclitaxel-Resistant Breast Cancer Cells

Background: The ability of cancer cells to develop multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major challenge in modern chemotherapy. The current generation of commercially available paclitaxel formulations have not been designed to treat resistant tumours. In this study, a nanoemulsion-based delivery system was developed to enhance the efficacy of paclitaxel against resistant breast cancer cells. Methods: The nanoemulsion was formulated using carvacrol-rich Satureja khuzestanica essential oil. Modification of nanoemulsion was performed by incorporating tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) which could inhibit drug resistance in cancer cells. Fabrication of paclitaxel nanoemulsion was performed by high speed homogenization. The cytotoxicity of prepared formulation against resistant breast cancer cells was investigated by MTT assay. Flow cytometry technique was used for cell cycle arrest analysis and examination of the apoptosis induction ability of prepared nanoemulsion. Results: The nanoemulsion had a relatively small mean droplet diameter (93.6 ± 4.2 nm) and good long-term stability. The ability of paclitaxel to inhibit P-gp function in paclitaxel-resistant breast cancer cells (MCF-7/PTX) was synergistically enhanced by administering it within the nanoemulsion. The cytotoxicity of the prepared nanoemulsion on the HUVEC normal cells was much lower than that of MCF-7/PTX cells. Cell cycle analysis utilizing flow cytometry showed that the paclitaxel-loaded nanoemulsion promoted G2-M arrest. Flow cytometry also demonstrated that this nanoemulsion induced apoptosis in MCF-7/PTX cells. Interestingly, apoptosis increased from 20.0% for the free paclitaxel treated group to 85.2 % for the paclitaxel-loaded nanoemulsion treated group. Conclusion: This novel paclitaxel nanoemulsion efficiently suppressed the drug resistance of breast cancer cells and induced effective apoptosis in very low concentrations of paclitaxel.

ROS-mediated antifungal activity of Ocimum essential oil-loaded nanoemulsions against postharvest fungal pathogens of Kinnow

Kinnow fruit is prone to fungal and microbial attacks, leading to significant postharvest losses during marketing and storage due to two most prominent fungal pathogens, Penicillium digitatum and P. italicum. Safer alternatives of synthetic fungicides are required for management of these pathogens. Essential oils (EO) with remarkable antimicrobial activities may offer an upcoming alternative, but the high volatility, thermal sensitivity, and hydrophobicity limit their commercial applications. In the current study, coarse and nanoemulsions (CEs and NEs) of the most potent Ocimum species were evaluated as novel coatings for Kinnow. In a screening in vitro study, the efficacy of Ocimum essential oil of three species against P. digitatum and P. italicum was assessed. The CEs and NEs (0.5%–0.3% concentrations) of Ocimum viride EO (OVEO, best screened EO) with three surfactants in 1:1 oil-surfactant proportion (OSP) were prepared. The NE formulated with 1% oil having OSP (1:1) sonicated for 10 min exhibited consistent stability till 1 month with mean droplet diameter of 180.2 nm, polydispersity index 0.328, ζ-potential (−22.58 mV) and pH of 7.84) exhibited complete inhibition of hyphal growth of test fungi at 500 mg L−1. The EO-NE treatment of the fungal hyphae led to enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) manifested as hyphal distortion and suppression of spore germination as compared to EO. OVEO NEs may offer an ecofriendly alternate to synthetic analogues for postharvest management of Kinnow.

A new nanocomposite based on polylactic acid/butadiene rubber/clay: Morphology development and mechanical properties

AbstractIn this work, several samples based on poly(lactic) acid (PLA)/butadiene rubber (BR) blend with and without nanoclay (Cloisite 30B) were prepared using an internal mixer. Various methods were used to characterize the samples, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), x‐ray diffraction (XRD), rheometric mechanical spectrometer, stress–strain, and impact strength tests. The SEM results showed the droplet‐matrix morphology for all prepared samples. With the incorporation of nanoclay, the mean diameter of the BR droplets generated within the PLA matrix decreased. AFM test revealed the placement of nanoparticles in the PLA phase, which was consistent with the thermodynamic prediction of their location. The XRD test showed that the interlayer space of nanoclay expanded by 86% due to the diffusion of polymer chains between them. In the rheology test, this resulted in an increment in modulus and viscosity at low frequencies for the nanocomposites compared to the simple blend. The highest elongation at break was observed for the PLA/BR blend containing 10 wt% BR with approximately 40 times its value for the neat PLA, while the impact resistance increased up to three times.

Viscosity behavior and amount of gas consumed during hydrate formation: Influence of different parameters

Hydrate formation is an industry’s primary flow assurance problem. Many variables play an important role in hydrate formation. Some have been largely studied as sub-cooling, mean droplet diameter and shear rate. We also studied those variables here, but our main goal is to investigate the impact caused by the wax paraffin in emulsified systems. We use a high-pressure rheological system coupled to a flow meter to interrogate those variables. We show the results regarding the viscosity and mass of gas sent to the cell curves during hydrates dissolution, cooling, growth, and stabilization. Our main findings reveal that the amount of gas in the system at the onset of the process plays a critical role in the induction time of hydrates formation. Details of hydrate formation are not captured only by viscosity curves. Hydrate tests that compute the gas consumed are not common in the literature, which is another goal of this work. One important practical conclusion of our work is that an increased waxy paraffin concentration in the sample contributes to an extended induction time for hydrates formation.

Modelling droplet size distribution in inline electrostatic coalescers for improved crude oil processing

Water-in-oil emulsions pose significant challenges in the petroleum and chemical industrial processes, necessitating the coalescence enhancement of dispersed water droplets in emulsified oils. This study develops a mathematical model to predict the evolution of water droplet size distribution in inline electrostatic coalescers (IEC) as a promising means to improve the water separation efficiency of current oil processing systems. The proposed model utilizes the population balance modelling approach to effectively simulate the dynamic and complex processes of coalescence and breakage of droplets in crude oil which directly influence the separation efficiency of the process. The method of classes as an effective mathematical technique is selected to solve the population balance equation (PBE). The accuracy of the model and considered assumptions agree well with experimental data collected from the literature. The results demonstrate the model's ability to accurately simulate droplet coalescence and breakage in emulsified oil while predicting droplet size distribution and water removal efficiency. The electric field strength, residence time, and fluid flow rate significantly influence the coalescence of droplets. At 4 kV and 5 m3/h after 4 s the mean diameter of droplets (D50) and separation efficiency reach the maximum of 94.3% and 432 µm, respectively. The model enables the optimization of operational conditions, resulting in increased performance and reliability of oil-processing systems while reducing the energy consumption and use of chemical demulsifiers. Additionally, utilization of the device in optimized conditions significantly reduces the size and weight of downstream separation equipment, which is particularly advantageous for heavy oils and offshore fields.